Get. Ready.
I mean, really ready. Pour yourself a glass of red wine, put on your coziest pjs, queue up Netflix, and snuggle in.
This is how we get ready right now, isn’t it? I don’t know about you, but that’s been my comfort on repeat since March, and I don’t see it changing anytime soon.
The saving grace? Easy, delicious appetizers that make me feel like I’m out on the town with friends, at a restaurant, like the good ol’ days.
While you know I am not one to ever turn down cozy nights at home (really, even now, hah), there’s something special about being able to make restaurant-worthy recipes right at home. And this, my friend, this is it.
How to Make Whipped Feta
The base of this appetizer is the whipped feta. Which really can be a recipe on its own. It can be spread on pizza, toast topped with fresh herbs, a dip for fresh veggies.
Keep that in mind, if you have leftovers without olives on top, or if you want to just make extra of this luxurious dip, you can! You can and you can enjoy and have it on EVERYTHING.
It’s also really easy, but that’s why we’re here, isn’t it?
You will need a food processor to whip the feta into a smooth and creamy, luscious dip.
I start with a block of feta opposed to buying the crumbles because 1) it’s more cost-efficient for this recipe and 2) the feta won’t have anti-caking agents in it, as most crumbled fetas do.
Break the block into chunks, basically to just make sure it fits in the processor bowl.
Next goes in a container of Greek yogurt, lemon zest, garlic, and mayyyybe a little bit of whole milk if you’d like the dip to have a thinner consistency. I’m leaving that one up to you.
Puree the ingredients in your food processor until smooth, scraping the sides as needed. There typically will be small bits of feta that won’t break down, no matter how much processing you do.
You have two options:
- Leave them. They’re tiny, they add a little texture, and they don’t really matter or change the dip in any real fashion. You can see, I left them.
- Use a fine mesh sieve to remove any of the little bits.
I tested it both ways, and in the end thought that straining it was just too much work, and I lost too much feta, to make it worth it. If you’re looking for the dip to be super duper duper smooth, go ahead and strain it. You won’t find any objections here!
How to Top Feta Dip
You know those herby-lemony marinated olives? Yes, those on top of this is a match made in heaven.
Briney, salty, tangy heaven.
Be sure to prep the olives ahead of time. The longer the olives marinate, the more flavorful they’ll be, and you want them 100% ready when serving.
Add a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper and red pepper flakes for an extra oomph too.
I know I already said it, but it’s worth saying again…this whipped feta dip is not solely made for marinated olives.
It is made for pizzas, and dipping on its own, and eating by the spoonful. So go ahead, expand those horizons with your leftover dip!
How to Serve this Elegant Dip
Homemade. Pita. Chips.
They are a must. Fresh, warm out of the oven, and with a crunch in every bite, they’re dynamite.
You’ve definitely made them for homemade Mediterranean Nachos before, so you know how easy it is.
Cut up some pita bread, drizzle with olive oil, S&P, and throw them in the oven to crisp up. It honestly couldn’t be easier.
You can also serve it with baguette slices alongside (love these warmed up, too).
The cracker route works too. Some sort of carb vehicle works best, since we have the olives on top doing their thang, a sturdy carb helps bring it all to your mouth flawlessly.
Was that weird? Maybe that was weird. But carbs. The end.
P.S. I’d love to see this come to life in your kitchen, don’t forget to leave a review and share on IG!
More Cheese Dip Recipes
- Creamy Artichoke and Kale Dip
- Baked Sun-Dried Tomato and Pesto Dip
- Apricot Grilled Brie
- 10 Minute Whipped Ricotta with Herbs
- Pesto Tomato Burrata Spread
Get the Recipe Whipped Feta with Marinated Olives
Ingredients
- 8 oz. block of feta
- 5.3 oz Greek yogurt, 1 container
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Optional: 1 TBSP whole milk
- 1 cup marinated olives
- Optional: red pepper flakes for garnish
Equipment
Instructions
- In a food processor, add the block of feta (broken up into pieces so it will fit), greek yogurt, garlic, and lemon zest.
- Puree until smooth, scraping the sides as needed. If you’d like it thinner, add in the milk and puree again to combine.
- Optional: use a fine mesh strainer to remove any small pieces of feta that remain.
- Spread the feta in a serving bowl and top with marinated olives as desired. I like to put a good amount in the center, serve it up, and add more as they disappear. Garnish with additional red pepper flakes as desired, too. Serve with homemade pita chips or baguette slices.
Notes
- Marinated Olives: see the full recipe and prepare the marinated olives ahead of time for the most flavor.
- Not into olives? Serve whipped feta on its own, with veggies, or spread on a pizza!
- December 2022: reduced garlic from 4 to 2 cloves.
I made this dip for the first time yesterday and it was very easy and tasty. It was really heavy on garlic, which we’re usually down for, but this was a lot. I will for sure make this again but will knock off a clove or two (I doubled the recipe using the 2x feature). Thank you for sharing this!
Thanks for your feedback, Jamie! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it overall!
Absolutely delicious! Brought it for a church event ( we are Syrian Orthodox, so these flavors are very familiar!) and it was a hit. Served with Mediterranean crackers. Brought very little home and looking forward to making more just for us!
I’m so happy to hear that, Sarah! Thanks so much for making it and taking the time to leave your review!